Indian Creek Turf Talk

Friday, May 5, 2017

Aerifcation isn’t fun for anyone involved. I grew up
playing the game so I genuinely understand aerifications short term effects on
putting quality. No one dislikes disrupting a putting surface more than I do
but I assure you all that it is a necessary evil and the benefits are felt long
after recovery. I would bore you with the intricacies and the science behind
the benefits of aerification so I won’t get too into the weeds. However, I do
think you all deserve to have a better understanding of why I aerify. I will
keep it simple, general and hopefully helpful.

The most widely and publicly accepted reasons for
aerification are to remove thatch and relieve compaction. In general, this is
true, and we do use aerification, to varying degrees, as a tool to accomplish
these two things. However, compaction isn’t a super critical issue on greens
constructed with sand as ours are. *Side
note: I have no experience with push-up greens profiles so my thoughts here
only pertain to sand profile greens*. Core aerification has its greatest
impacts on compaction in heavier, finer textured soils commonly found in
fairways and rough areas. And, as for thatch management, aerifications benefit isn’t
so much the physical removal of the thatch layer as it is the creation of a
healthier soil environment where thatch accumulation can be slowed and thatch
breakdown can be accelerated. Don’t get me wrong, core aerification does in
fact remove thatch but when you do the math the total volume of thatch removed in
any one coring process is surprisingly low.

For me, and I try and only ever speak for myself, it
essentially comes down to preventing anaerobic (non-oxygenated) condition’s by
providing fresh, clean, un-obstructed sand channels that allow adequate gas
exchange throughout the root zone. For me it’s really that simple, I aerify to
promote gas exchange. There are certainly a number of secondary and tertiary
reasons for aerification, but allowing the root zone to “breathe” is the reason
I aerify. In fact, a majority of the secondary and tertiary benefits are simply
direct and indirect effects of a healthy, oxygenated root zone.

So… although I know, in the short term, aerifcation isn’t an
ideal situation I assure you it’s well worth it. I really appreciate your
understanding and patience with the process.

Here is a photo of a plug
from a green that does a wonderful job of showing the sand channels created
during aerification. This particular plug still has visible sand channels from
a number of years ago. This is exactly why I do what I do.

An Important Note: In this industry there are numerous thought’s,
ideas, process’, principal’s, etc.… when it comes to managing a golf facility.
Please remember that what I say here only pertains to me and my approach. I
don’t ever want to speak on behalf of anyone but myself. I will never comment
on another’s facility and nothing you read here should ever be perceived as a
commentary on what someone else is or is not doing. My articles are not arguments
for what is the right or wrong way to do something. They are simply an explanation
of why I do what I do (and what I do is far from perfect).

It’s pretty apparent spring
is here and this year’s golf season has gotten off to a cool and wet start.
Frost delays are a certainty in spring and although we are rapidly approaching
the end of the frost season it is not uncommon for frost potential to linger
into May. I get the impression that not a lot is understood about frost and its
effect on turf so I hope the information below sheds some light on the subject.

Turfgrass relies on its
elasticity to withstand wear and tear from the mechanical stresses of cart and
golfer traffic. When the leaf blade is frozen, the turfgrass becomes rigid and
its ability to withstand mechanical stress is compromised. Cold temperatures
can lead to the formation of ice crystals within the intercellular spaces of
the leaf blade. These intercellular spaces are essentially the voids that exist
between the plants cells.

When mechanical pressure is
placed on the leaf blade, the sharp edges of these ice crystals pierce the
plants cell walls resulting in cell collapse. Imagine what happens when you
pierce a water balloon with a needle. This is essentially what happens when ice
crystals protrude a cell wall. Once the plant loses the rigidity provided by
the cells turgor, or hydraulic pressure, the plant will collapse. This is the
primary reason we delay play on the golf course until we are frost free. It is
not because we want more time to enjoy our morning coffee, although that would
be nice.

It is important to note
that temperatures do not have to drop to 32°F to experience frost. Also, keep
in mind that a golf course has a number of different micro-climates, and warmer
temperatures, around, let’s say, a clubhouse doesn’t guarantee the rest of the
course is in the clear. We have found 5 - 8 degree differences in areas on our
course and I am sure this is the case with a number of facilities.

No one likes frost delays.
It puts pressure on the pro shop staff, prevents the grounds crew from prepping
the course, and it throws off the golfer’s schedule. Unfortunately, though, it
is a reality so please be patient and understand it is out of our control. The
facility will have you on the course as soon as Mother Nature allows.

Frost damage from cart traffic

Frost damage from foot traffic

An Important Note: In this industry there are numerous thought’s,
ideas, process’, principal’s, etc.… when it comes to managing a golf facility.
Please remember that what I say here only pertains to me and my approach. I
don’t ever want to speak on behalf of anyone but myself. I will never comment
on another’s facility and nothing you read here should ever be perceived as a
commentary on what someone else is or is not doing. My articles are not
arguments for what is the right or wrong way to do something. They are simply an
explanation of why I do what I do (and what I do is far from perfect).

Friday, May 6, 2016

Spring aerification is in the bag and the process finished up without a hitch. Mother Nature and the clubhouse staff took care of things and made our job much more efficient. Thanks to you both!

A photo from a 2012. We've since diluted this layer and moved it another 1 1/2" from the surface

There are a numbers of posts from years back describing the importance of aerification on greens so this year I decide to provide a video documentation of the process. I can promise you all that it is thrilling footage! The link below takes you to a YouTube video of our aerification process and some of the management process that will follow.

Thursday, April 28, 2016

April 27th's hail storm at Indian Creek was unlike anything I have ever experienced. Hail and rain rates exceeded 5 inches an hour. We were fortunate the hail was small and caused very little damage. Bunkers did need some repair work but the crew knocked that out today. Mowing was all but shut down today and this sets us back going into the weekend. We have our work cut out for us tomorrow but the we will certainly work hard to catch up as quickly as we can. All things considered the course escaped relatively unscathed and we are grateful for that. The storm was actually pretty awesome and I am glad I was on site to witness it.Below is a link to a YouTube channel with video footage of the aftermath. Sorry its shaky. I was recording while driving and holding onto children.https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv4Mdj0eeNws3WfgHNOHdoA

Friday, March 11, 2016

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

The most important process of the new season is charging up the irrigation system. Fortunately it appears everything overwintered well and is holding tight, so far. Now its a matter of avoiding any major malfunctions for the next 9 months. Our fingers are crossed.﻿